Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a new electronic payment system that removes the need for third party financial institutions. It speeds up transactions while reducing costs and minimizing the potential for fraud. The name “cryptocurrency” points to how it uses “cryptographic proof” to work, AKA a blockchain.

Bitcoin’s concept was first introduced in 2008 when a person going by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto shared a white paper titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.” In January 2009, the Bitcoin blockchain was launched. 

A new electronic payment system called Bitcoin removes the need for third-party financial institutions. It speeds up transactions while reducing costs and fraud-risk. The name “cryptocurrency” points to how it uses “cryptographic proof” to work, AKA a blockchain.   

Bitcoin has a finite supply of 21 million, which is expected to be reached by the year 2140. Currently, 18.8 million are circulating in the market. Note that Bitcoin represents the concept of the network, while bitcoin (lower-case ‘b’) represents the currency.

Bitcoin is one of the most well-known cryptos as it was the first decentralized currency. 

Currently, BTC’s dominance is above 40%. Bitcoin Dominance is a measure of how much of the total market cap of crypto is made up of Bitcoin. Bitcoin’s influence in the crypto ecosystem could be vulnerable to competition as alternative coins grow in popularity and utility.

The firm signaled that it's embracing preferred shares.

Metaplanet Posts $605 Million Loss After Spending Billions on Bitcoin

The following article is adapted from The Block's newsletter, The Daily, which comes out on weekday afternoons.

The Daily: Kevin O'Leary wins $2.8M defamation judgment against Ben ‘BitBoy' Armstrong, Harvard trims bitcoin ETF holdings, and more

Bitcoin Magazine Payjoin Foundation Gains 501(c)(3) Status, Enabling Tax-Deductible Donations for Bitcoin Privacy Development Payjoin Foundation, the nonprofit behind the Payjoin Dev Kit, has secured 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, making U.S. donations tax-deductible and accelerating development of privacy-enhancing Bitcoin protocols. Payjoin Foundation Gains 501(c)(3) Status, Enabling Tax-Deductible Donations for Bitcoin Privacy Development Juan Galt.

Payjoin Foundation Gains 501(c)(3) Status, Enabling Tax-Deductible Donations for Bitcoin Privacy Development

Crypto's adolescence is over—and institutional capital is changing the rules of engagement, says WisdomTree's latest market analysis.

Bitcoin 'Boom-Bust' Era Is Over as Institutions Take the Lead: WisdomTree

Ethereum

Harvard Management Company trimmed its Bitcoin ETF position while starting a new stake in a spot Ethereum fund.

Harvard Cuts Bitcoin ETF Stake, Adds Ethereum Exposure in Q4 Filing

Bitcoin Magazine Trump Family-Backed American Bitcoin Keeps Stacking Bitcoin, Holdings Pass 6,000 BTC American Bitcoin (ABTC) has pushed its Bitcoin reserves past 6,000 BTC. Trump Family-Backed American Bitcoin Keeps Stacking Bitcoin, Holdings Pass 6,000 BTC Micah Zimmerman.

Trump Family-Backed American Bitcoin Keeps Stacking Bitcoin, Holdings Pass 6,000 BTC

Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) delivered a divided performance from Feb. 9–13, with bitcoin and ether recording heavy net outflows while XRP and solana posted gains. The week pointed to a growing divergence in investor positioning across digital asset funds.

Bitcoin and Ether ETFs See Combined $521 Million Weekly Outflow

On Monday, bitcoin is coasting along at $68,494 per unit as short sellers pile in at levels not seen since August 2024, setting up a high-stakes standoff in the derivatives market. Bitcoin Funding Rates Plunge — Echoes of 2024 Rally Setup Bitcoin is trading just above $68,000 on Feb.

Bitcoin Traders Crowd the Short Side as BTC Defends $68K

The shift may be due to complex market dynamics, potentially reflecting the unwinding of a trade that capitalized on bitcoin treasury companies trading at premiums to their mNAV.

Harvard cuts bitcoin exposure by 20%, adds new ether position

Bitcoin Magazine Harvard Trims Bitcoin Position by 21% in Q4 Portfolio Shift Harvard trimmed its Bitcoin holdings by 21% in the fourth quarter while establishing its first-ever position in Ethereum. Harvard Trims Bitcoin Position by 21% in Q4 Portfolio Shift Micah Zimmerman.

Harvard Trims Bitcoin Position by 21% in Q4 Portfolio Shift

Dogecoin

Bitcoin continued to hover near the $68,000 mark despite improving Fear & Greed sentiment and modestly positive ETF flows; liquidations stand at $$261.4 million over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin ETFs saw $15.2 million in net inflows on Friday, while Ethereum ETFs reported $10.3 million in net inflows.

Bitcoin, Ethereum Slip 3% As XRP, Dogecoin Fall Over 6% On Holiday-Thinned Trading

Harvard Management Company reduced its bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) holdings in Q4 while initiating an $86.8 million position in Blackrock's Ishares Ether Trust, maintaining significant exposure to both leading cryptocurrencies.

Harvard Cuts Bitcoin ETF Position, Backs Ether ETF With $86 Million

McGlone links bitcoin's downturn to record U.S. market cap-to-GDP levels, low equity volatility and rising gold prices, warning of potential contagion into stocks.

Bitcoin could fall to $10,000 as U.S. recession risk builds, Mike McGlone Says

Metaplanet posted a $619 million FY2025 loss on its bitcoin valuation, while its total holdings jumped to 35,102 BTC and revenue surged.

Metaplanet posts $619 million net loss on bitcoin valuation as holdings climb to 35,102 BTC

Bitcoin's price this morning at 8:15 a.m. Eastern time stands at $69,393 per coin, with a market cap of $1.38 trillion and 24-hour trading volume of $39.29 billion, as price action fluctuated within an intraday range of $68,095 to $70,220.

Bitcoin Consolidates Above $69,000 as $71,000 Emerges as Key Resistance

Bitcoin (BTC) is now nearly 50% below its all-time high set four months ago. And according to Bitwise Chief Investment Officer Matt Hougan, there is “never a single reason why the crypto market falls,” but rather multiple factors at work. Hougan believes there are six major drivers behind the downturn.

Bitwise CIO Says AI and Precious Metals Helped Spark Bitcoin Downturn, And Several Catalysts Could ‘Turn Things Around'

Bitcoin trades near $69,000 despite growing whale accumulation as crypto searches for a catalyst amid outflows and fragile market structure.

Bitcoin ETF outflows and crowded shorts leave market primed for volatility, analysts say

Prospera, a Zone for Employment and Economic Development (ZEDE) in Honduras that uses bitcoin as legal tender, faces uncertainty about its future after the highest court declared the framework that created it unconstitutional.

Honduran Bitcoin Utopia Prospera Faces Uncertainty After Government Change

Altcoins notch double-digit weekly gains as Bitcoin remains rangebound, but most remain well below all-time highs with macro data looming.

Crypto Traders Rotate Into Select Altcoins as Bitcoin Stalls

Harvard trimmed its Bitcoin exchange-traded fund holdings by 21% in Q4 and opened an $86.8 million Ethereum ETF position.

Harvard trims bitcoin ETF holdings by 21%, builds $87 million ether position

Strategy says it can withstand a bitcoin price drop to $8,000 and still cover its roughly $6 billion in net debt.

Strategy says it can survive even if bitcoin drops to $8,000 and will 'equitize' debt

Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN ) CEO Brian Armstrong said on Sunday that retail users on the cryptocurrency exchange showed strong resilience in the ongoing market downturn, steadily purchasing Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) during the dips. Coinbase Encountering Retail Accumulation Armstrong highlighted on X a rise in native Bitcoin and Ethereum units held by retail users on the platform.

Brian Armstrong Reveals Retail Users 'Buying The Dip' In Bitcoin, Ethereum: Coinbase CEO Says, 'They Have Diamond Hands'

Traders are bracing for a heavy week of macroeconomic events, including Fed minutes and the core PCE inflation report.

Crypto market drowns in red as bitcoin falls to $68,000

BitMine Immersion Technologies Inc. (NYSE:BMNR ) Chair Tom Lee said on Saturday that the ongoing “cryptocurrency winter” is nearing its end, with Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) close to hitting their lows. Lee Says End Is Near During an interview, Lee cited Tom DeMark, BitMine's advisor on timing, who suggested that Bitcoin might find support at $60,000 and Ethereum could bottom out at around $1,890.

Tom Lee Forecasts End Of Crypto Winter By This Month, Says Bitcoin, Ethereum May Find Support At These Levels

Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR) founder Michael Saylor said on Sunday that the Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC)-hoarding company plans to convert its convertible debt into equity over the next three to six years. Strategy Won't Issue New Convertible Notes?

News for Bitcoin Crypto (BTC)