Altcoin
BTC, ETH Drop As $566M Liquidated Amid Bybit Hack
Crypto market today (February 22): Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and other altcoins reflect an alarmingly waning price action as the week comes to a close. Primarily against Bybit’s recent $1.4 billion hack, over $566 million was liquidated across the broader market in the last 24 hours. As a result, BTC price price lost nearly 2% and slipped back to the $96K level on Saturday. Further, ETH and other leading altcoins have also followed the waning trajectory.
Crypto Market Today: BTC, ETH & Altcoins Suffer Amid Bybit’s Hack & Massive Liquidations
Notably, the crypto exchange behemoth Bybit recently suffered an exploitation attack, resulting in the theft of $1.4 billion ETH from the platform. CoinGape reported that the mastermind behind this hack was ‘The Lazarus Group,’ a North Korean cybercriminal organization.
As a response to the hack, the crypto market saw $566.64 liquidated in the last 24 hours, per Coinglass data. The massive liquidations, underscoring panic selling, in turn brought significant heat to cryptocurrency prices. Further, the global cryptocurrency market cap slipped 1.98% from yesterday to reach $3.17 trillion.
BTC Price Backtracks To $96K
In sync with the colossal liquidations, BTC price witnessed a 2% loss in value over the past 24 hours, resting at $96,170. The flagship coin’s intraday bottom and peak were $94,852.96 and $99,497.97, respectively. Coinglass data showed that Bitcoin recorded $199.44 million worth of liquidations in the past 24 hours. Simultaneously, its market dominance slipped marginally by 0.01% to 60.29%.
ETH Price Takes Heat Amid Crypto Market’s New Hack
ETH price tanked nearly 3% in the past 24 hours and is currently trading at $2,674. The coin’s 24-hour low and high were $2,616.92 and $2,842.83, respectively. Ethereum recorded liquidations worth $141.76 million in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, market watchers remain cautious about the coin’s future movements in light of the massive Bybit hack. Given that the hackers decide to sell the stolen funds ahead, heightened selling pressure could pull the price further down.
XRP Price Cracks 3%
XRP price fell by 3% intraday and is now sitting at $2.57. The coin hit a bottom and peak of $2.51 and $2.71 in the last 24 hours. Notably, the Ripple-backed asset saw liquidations worth $14.95 million over the past day and followed the broader market trend to dip in the red zone.
SOL Price Slips 2%
SOL price saw a 2% decline in the past 24 hours and is now trading at $170. The coin swooped to a low of $167.31 and a high of $180.43 in the last 24 hours. Solana recorded liquidations worth $22.24 million intraday, aligning with the market trend.
Meme Crypto Market Also Tumbles
Dogecoin: DOGE price saw a 4% drop to $0.2417 amid $14.03 million liquidated in the Dogecoin market.
Shiba Inu: SHIB price waned by 2% in the past 24 hours and is currently trading at $0.00001516, mirroring the market trend.
Even Pepe Coin (PEPE) and Official Trump (TRUMP) prices cracked 2%-5%, reaching $0.000009188 and $16.08, respectively. The meme coin market has primarily mirrored the broader market trend as the week comes to a close.
Top Crypto Market Gainers Today
Ethena (ENA)
Price: $0.4544
24-Hour Gains: +11%
ENA price soared as the crypto project reassured users that its stablecoin USDe remains solvent despite the recent Bybit hack.
Bitget Token (BGB)
Price: $5.05
24-Hour Gains: +8%
Bitget’s BGB token soars amid its rival exchange’s hack saga, and the Bitget wallet launching a limited-time BGB on-chain staking program.
Jito (JTO)
Price: $2.84
24-Hour Gains: +5%
JTO price gains alongside S. Korean cryptocurrency exchange Upbit’s announcement to list the token in the KRW market.
Top Crypto Market Losers Today
Mantle (MNT)
Price: $0.883
24-Hour Loss: -15%
Berachain (BERA)
Price: $7.16
24-Hour Loss: -12%
Sonic (S)
Price: $0.8546
24-Hour Loss: -10%
Overall, the current investor sentiment remains highly uncertain surrounding the crypto sector’s future, with prices taking heat amid Bybit’s hack and massive liquidations.
Coingape Staff
CoinGape comprises an experienced team of native content writers and editors working round the clock to cover news globally and present news as a fact rather than an opinion. CoinGape writers and reporters contributed to this article.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
The price Chainlink (LINK) has reversed its earlier growth trends after the broader market nosedived in mid-day trading. The current breakdown has triggered a new worry among investors for a coin that had the prospect of reclaiming its spot among the top 10 largest digital currencies.
The LINK price has fallen to $14.1, down 9.12% in the past 24 hours. This latest selloff has also raised the question of where the LINK floor is triggered.
Bitcoin Price and Bollinger Bands Insight
The Chainlink drawdown is steep and depends on the Bitcoin price selloff triggered by today’s US Core PCE figures. LINK has recorded more selloffs than most altcoins in the top 20 based on a percent decline over 24 hours.
LINK has fared much better on longer timeframes, as the token is still up by 1% in the past 7 days. The token’s Year-to-Date (YTD) growth is 34.76%, making analysts wonder if more selloff is inbound.
The LINK/USDT 4H Chart offers insight into the Chainlink price outlook. The current price is trading at the lower Bollinger Bands, $14.04. The deviation from the upper bands is a sign of intense volatility, which may or may not go well for the token.
Over the past 30 days, the LINK price has not dropped below $13, which is now classified as the next support level to watch.
LINK and Dependence on the General Market
The broader market is divided on what is next for Chainlink. The Oracle service provider remains one of various institutional clients’ most used blockchain protocols.
This means that the adoption of its services depends on the market or external factors.
Besides this, the price action of Bitcoin and other altcoins is also a major determinant of its potential rebound. At the time of writing, the price of BTC has dropped to a new weekly low of $83,872.69, down by 3.77% in 24 hours. With the bearish outlook, Peter Brandt said Bitcoin price crashing to $70,000 is not impossible.
With Chainlink’s dependence on Bitcoin, the altcoin may maintain its current outlook until the top coin prints a new rally.
Major LINK Price Catalyst to Watch
Per an earlier CoinGape report, Chainlink inked a deal with the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This LINK partnership with ADGM will support the development of compliant frameworks for tokenized assets, expand blockchain adoption, and promote regulatory dialogue within the UAE and globally.
In an earlier LINK price analysis, projections were made that this partnership may push the token’s price to a high of $44. For now, the protocol’s price action signals caution overall.
Godfrey Benjamin
Benjamin Godfrey is a blockchain enthusiast and journalists who relish writing about the real life applications of blockchain technology and innovations to drive general acceptance and worldwide integration of the emerging technology. His desires to educate people about cryptocurrencies inspires his contributions to renowned blockchain based media and sites. Benjamin Godfrey is a lover of sports and agriculture.
Disclaimer: The presented content may include the personal opinion of the author and is subject to market condition. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or the publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
The Ethereum price has been in a sharp decline in the past months, underperforming compared to Bitcoin (BTC) and Solana (SOL). Despite its unwillingness to experience a significant price increase, a crypto analyst has revealed his bullishness for ETH, predicting a potential recovery to $4,000 before the end of the bull cycle.
Ethereum Price Projected To Reach $4,000
Crypto analyst Astronomer has announced his bullishness on the Ethereum price outlook, predicting a potential rally to $4,000. In a rather lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), the analyst highlights several technical signals that suggest ETH could soon revisit this key price target.
Notably, the ETH price is positioned at a clear support zone between the $1,700 and $1,900 range. Historically, this range has acted as a launch pad for recoveries, with previous declines to this area triggering a strong price surge.
While Ethereum has underperformed against Solana during this bull market, it has still doubled since its 2022 low, which is a better outcome than most altcoins. Further highlighting his bullish stance on ETH, Astronomer revealed that he had swapped BTC for ETH, holding a strong conviction that the latter will eventually outperform the former by the end of the cycle.
Based on the analyst’s chart, ETH is currently trading within a long-term macro price range between $1,700 and $4,500. The cryptocurrency recently retested the bottom of this range, which historically led to a bounce back toward a price high above $4,000.
Astronomer also notes that Bitcoin has already set its weekly low, meaning that Ethereum’s price movements could soon align with the pioneer cryptocurrency’s recovery. If ETH can reclaim the $2,100 level, the analyst predicts a rapid move toward $4,000 in a few months.
With the next Federal Reserve monetary policy scheduled for mid-April, the market may see renewed bullish momentum that could benefit Ethereum’s price trajectory. Another major development that supports the analyst’s bullish projection for Ethereum is its performance in March 2024. At the time, the altcoin swept a previous price high but didn’t sustain a breakout, leading to a prolonged correction.
However, Astronomer suggested that this price trend insists on revisiting $4,000, particularly after Ethereum hits a range low. The analyst notes that ETH is now at this critical low, which could indicate that the bottom is in, signaling a potential move to new highs.
ETH Market Sentiment Hits Rock Bottom
While sharing his bullish forecast for ETH’s price during this bull cycle, Astronomer also revealed that Ethereum is facing a heavy bearish sentiment due to its prolonged underperformance. According to the analyst, Ethereum’s current market sentiment is worse than Bitcoin’s, with negative narratives dominating discussions across the crypto community.
Some claim that ETH lacks a proper use case, while others suggest that the Ethereum Foundation may be selling. Despite this, Historical data shows that when ETH hit similar low levels in late 2017 and 2021, the cryptocurrency experienced a subsequent rally to new ATHs. The latest sentiment score shows Ethereum has hit rock bottom at 14, signaling extreme fear and uncertainty, which often precedes major price rebounds.
Featured image from Adobe Stock, chart from Tradingview.com
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Several big stories and developments have occurred in the crypto space this week, including innovations in the Pi Network ecosystem, Grayscale updating its list of investible altcoins, and Donald Trump’s crypto play.
In case you missed these developments, among others, the following is a roundup of what happened in crypto this week.
Pi Network Introduces PiDaoSwap
Pi Network took a key step in decentralized finance (DeFi) this week, revealing the development of PiDaoSwap. This community-driven decentralized exchange (DEX) is designed to counter price manipulation.
PiDaoSwap aims to stabilize Pi Coin’s value and enhance trust within its ecosystem by ensuring fair trading mechanisms.
“Once completed, the Pi price will be reflected at its true value and will no longer be manipulated by current external exchanges,” Pi Network VietNames claimed.
Another positive development in the Pi Network ecosystem this week is the integration with Telegram’s crypto wallet. This move could provide access to up to one billion users and expand the controversial project’s mainstream adoption.
While this move reflects Pi Network’s growing influence, questions around decentralization and exchange listings continue to loom large. Specifically, the Pi Network remains under scrutiny due to concerns about its centralization, particularly its SuperNodes.
Critics argue that a heavily centralized network undermines the core principles of blockchain technology. Adding to the debate, analysts have pointed out that Pi Network’s absence from major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase stems from concerns over its operational transparency.
Another hot headline this week in crypto was Trump Media’s announcement of a partnership with Crypto.com. The collaboration lays the groundwork for launching new ETFs (exchange-traded funds) based on Cronos, Bitcoin, and other assets.
The report inspired a nearly 20% surge in the Cronos (CRO) token, the powering token for the Crypto.com ecosystem. This collaboration added to the list of notable shifts as Trump’s media venture embraces cryptocurrency.
However, blockchain investigator ZachXBT raised concerns about Crypto.com’s token manipulation practices, souring sentiment for this partnership. Citing its re-issuance, the blockchain sleuth suggested the exchange may engage in opaque financial maneuvers.
Despite these concerns, Crypto.com emerged unscathed as the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) concluded its investigation without filing any charges.
“The SEC’s investigation into Crypto.com has been closed with no action being taken against Crypto.com. I continue to be proud of how this industry and its community have weathered storm after storm… The fact that we not only persevered but became stronger is a testament to our vision and the community supporting it,” wrote Kris Marszalek, CEO of Crypto.com.
The announcement led to a notable jump in CRO’s price, reaffirming investor confidence in the exchange despite previous regulatory scrutiny.
BeInCrypto data shows CRO was trading for $0.11 as of this writing, up by over 4% in the last 24 hours.
GameStop’s Bitcoin Announcement
GameStop, the once-legendary meme stock, also made headlines this week in crypto. It announced an update to its investment policy, revealing that it had added Bitcoin as a Treasury Reserve Asset. In the immediate aftermath of this announcement, the company’s stock prices jumped 12% before profit booking set in.
While this could have been a bullish catalyst, Bitcoin’s price remained largely unmoved. Analysts suggest the announcement lacked crucial details to trigger excitement and provoke a significant market reaction.
“The announcement lacked key details —most importantly, how much Bitcoin they’re actually buying. While they’re sitting on about $4.8 billion in cash, we’ve seen no indication of what portion, if any, will be allocated to BTC,” Mati Greenspan, Founder and CEO of Quantum Economics, told BeInCrypto.
Further, the price impact for BTC was muted, given that Bitcoin payments are becoming more common among retailers.
Grayscale Updates Investment List
Adding to the list of what happened this week in crypto, Grayscale updated its list of investable altcoins for Q2 2025. The institutional crypto asset manager added three new tokens, Maple Finance (SYRUP), Geodnet (GEOD), and Story Protocol (IP), to its top 20 crypto investments.
“…We believe the revised Top 20 list may offer more compelling risk-adjusted returns for the coming quarter,” the firm explained.
This move reflects the company’s ongoing strategy to diversify its holdings and identify emerging digital assets with strong growth potential. At the same time, it truncated three altcoins from the same list- Akash Network (AKT), Arweave (AR), and Jupiter (JUP).
Binance Embraces Studio Ghibli Meme Coins Frenzy
Elsewhere, a new meme coin craze emerged this week in crypto, drawing inspiration from the beloved Studio Ghibli brand. Binance Alpha responded to the trend by listing two Ghibli-themed tokens, Ghiblification and GhibliCZ.
These tokens have gained rapid traction as part of a broader wave of AI and pop culture-driven crypto speculation. The Ghibli meme coin phenomenon follows a pattern in previous meme-inspired tokens, where hype and social media engagement drive price action more than actual utility.
While some traders see opportunities for quick gains, others caution against speculative bubbles that could lead to rapid market corrections. Nevertheless, Binance’s involvement reflects how major exchanges capitalize on trending narratives to attract trading volume.
This strategy, which continues to shape the DeFi space, has also drawn criticism as users challenge the listing standards of centralized exchanges (CEXs).
Disclaimer
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