This week in crypto, several major events are set to capture the attention of industry participants. Among the top stories include a massive Solana unlock, the debut of Aave on Sonic Layer-1 (L1), and the KernelDAO token launch.

Each of these events promises significant developments across their respective ecosystems. They offer insights and potential growth opportunities, which forward-looking traders and investors are likely to capitalize on.

$1.9 Billion Solana Unlock

This week’s key highlight is the unlocking of $1.9 billion worth of Solana (SOL) on March 1. Specifically, roughly 11.2 million SOL tokens will be released, representing about 2.2% of Solana’s current circulating supply (around 488 million SOL).

This event is tied to the FTX bankruptcy estate. The tokens stem from FTX’s liquidation process, where the bankrupt exchange previously sold locked SOL at discounted rates of around $64 to $102 per token to big players like Galaxy Digital, Pantera Capital, and others.

As of this writing, SOL is trading for around $158.91, so these institutional buyers are sitting on hefty unrealized profits. The unlock happens this Saturday, and the big question is whether they will hold or sell.

A mass sell-off could flood the market, potentially tanking SOL’s price due to increased supply outpacing demand. However, the impact might be muted if they hold, especially if Solana’s ecosystem keeps growing. Nevertheless, market sentiment is already jittery, with posts on X showing retail investors selling off SOL in anticipation, fearing a dip.

“While the team’s, seed investors’, and foundation’s shares are locked (also about 40%), the release of such a large volume poses a risk of market shock,” a popular account on X stated.

Technicals are not rosy either as Solana buyers retreat. Notwithstanding, SOL fundamentals like its fast, low-cost blockchain and rising adoption could cushion the blow long-term. Similarly, past unlocks, like the 7x supply increase in 2020, actually kicked off a bull run, though the market was less mature then.

Aave Debuting on Sonic L1

In December, Sonic Labs indicated the Aave governance process to bring the $22 billion lending market to Sonic. This week in crypto, Aave is going live on Sonic. This marks a major development, given that Aava dominates the DeFi lending market with $20 billion in total value locked (TVL), according to DefiLlama data.

Launching on the L1 would allow Sonic users to tap on-chain native credit lines and offer liquidity to other investors. Sonic’s high transaction speed and fee-sharing model could also prove to be major incentives for Aave’s deployment on the network. 

“AAVE will be the tangible breakthrough for Sonic that gets it from “small but promising chain” to full-fledged powerhouse. The network effect of AAVE is immense. And on Sonic that effect will be galvanized by the existing landscape,” popular user Jack the Oiler observed.

This partnership will also mean a $63 million liquidity commitment, including monetary contributions from various sources. Specifically, the Sonic Foundation pledged $15 million, with an additional $20 million promised in Circles USD Coin (USDC).

The funding would also include up to 50 million S tokens from Sonic, while Aave would contribute $800,000 in stablecoins. This sizable liquidity commitment would secure the financial backbone for Aave’s introduction to the Sonic network.

Nvidia Earnings

Nvidia’s earnings report will also be on the crypto watchlist this week. Nvidia’s fiscal fourth quarter (Q4) report, ending January 2025, is to be released this Wednesday, February 26. The report will be out after the market closes, making it a focal point for investors this week.

As the world’s top chipmaker by market cap, Nvidia’s results are a bellwether for the artificial intelligence boom, meaning impact on AI coins.

“NVDA 1D update-bearish AI news dropping this week…you won’t catch me buying any AI coins when I see the NVDA chart looking that way. I’ve always felt that way about AI coins bc NVDA has been ready to pop since November. All it took was some fake Deep Seek news for the initial distro and then AI memes did -95% of that,” an analyst shared in a post.

KernelDAO Token Launch

Also, this week in crypto, the launch of KernelDAO’s KERNEL token is expected. In a recent blog, KernelDAO said KERNEL would also be the native token of Kelp DAO, a popular liquid restaking protocol.

“The KERNEL token distribution emphasizes community-first principles, allocating the majority of tokens to the users and ecosystem participants,” the network shared.

KERNEL holders could actively participate in decision-making processes for major network products like Kelp LRT, Kernel Infrastructure, and Gain. Governance decisions can include protocol upgrades, fund allocations, and new partnerships.

It would also have a restaking function to provide shared economic security for the Kernel ecosystem, middleware, and decentralized applications (dApps). Further, KERNEL token holders can earn staking rewards from partner protocols and middleware.

Stacks Increase sBTC Deposit Cap

Stacks will increase the deposit cap for sBTC, its yield-bearing, Bitcoin-backed token, on Tuesday, February 25. This move marks a significant step in its mission to activate Bitcoin’s economy.

The sBTC token is a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed asset on the Stacks Layer-2 blockchain. It is designed to bring programmability and DeFi capabilities to BTC while maintaining its security through 100% hash power finality.

Launched on the mainnet in December 2024 with an initial cap of 1,000 BTC, that limit was hit fast—within two days—showing strong demand. This second cap, dubbed “Cap-2,” will add 2,000 more BTC, raising the total to 3,000 BTC available for minting.

“Hold sBTC, Earn Bitcoin. sBTC Cap-2 → Feb 25. Max 3,000 BTC Step 1. Put your BTC to work. Earn 5% APY in real Bitcoin rewards just by holding sBTC. Step 2. Deploy sBTC in DeFi apps for extra yield. Check thread for BTCFi,” Stacks shared recently.

Deposits open on February 25 at 10 a.m. ET on a first-come, first-served basis, with a minimum deposit of 0.01 BTC. sBTC lets BTC holders earn yield without giving up custody or relying on intermediaries, a big shift from wrapped BTC models.

ETHDenver Conference

The ETHDenver conference starts its main event on Thursday, February 27, in Denver, Colorado. Based on social media chatter, it is already shaping to be a pivotal moment for the Ethereum ecosystem.

Billed as the world’s largest and longest-running Ethereum-focused event, it draws thousands of developers, entrepreneurs, and blockchain enthusiasts. During the same event in 2024, over 15,000 attendees came from 115 countries. The expectation is that Ethereum projects could drop major updates, leveraging the event as a launchpad.

“Some analysts believe this event could positively impact Ethereum’s price, as the reduced market supply might lead to a price increase,” a user on X quipped.

Crypto outflows reached $508 million last week, marking the second series of negative flows in 2025. This brings the last two weeks of outflows to $925 million.

The outflows point to a shift in sentiment following an 18-week rally that accumulated $29 billion as investors weigh the impact of the US economic events and uncertainty surrounding trade tariffs, inflation, and monetary policy.

Bitcoin Takes the Biggest Hit While Altcoins Rally

The latest CoinShares report indicates that Bitcoin (BTC) bore the brunt of investor caution, seeing outflows of $571 million. Further, some traders opted to increase short positions, leading to $2.8 million in inflows for short-Bitcoin products.

This follows a similar trend from the previous week, when hawkish rhetoric from the Federal Reserve and CPI data contributed to the first crypto outflows of 2025. According to CoinShares, the latest stream of outflows comes amid heightened caution as investors continue to digest US economic data.

“We believe investors are exercising caution following the US Presidential inauguration and the consequent uncertainty around Trump’s trade tariffs, inflation, and monetary policy. This is also evident in trading turnover, which has fallen considerably from $22 billion 2 weeks ago to $13 billion last week,” an excerpt in the report read.

Regionally, the US accounted for most of the outflows, losing $560 million, accentuating concerns about the country’s economic policies.

Interestingly, however, while Bitcoin struggled, altcoins continued to see positive momentum. XRP led the way with $38.3 million in inflows, bringing its total since mid-November 2025 to $819 million.

XRP’s strong performance comes amid increasing anticipation of a US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) decision on an XRP ETF. The deadline for the SEC to approve or reject certain ETF applications has begun. Investors remain hopeful that XRP will gain regulatory clarity.

If approved, an XRP ETF could drive further institutional investment, reinforcing the altcoin’s resilience amid broader market uncertainty. However, XRP’s surge reflects increasing investor optimism that the US SEC may drop its lawsuit against Ripple.

Recent developments, including the SEC’s acknowledgment of Bitwise’s XRP ETF application and the launch of an XRP ETF in Brazil via Hashdex, fuel speculation further.

Other altcoins also saw inflows, with Solana attracting $9 million, Ethereum gaining $3.7 million, and Sui receiving $1.5 million. This suggests a potential shift in investor focus from Bitcoin’s digital gold narrative towards altcoins with stronger technical fundamentals and growth potential.

Meanwhile,this skittish market sentiment could be further influenced by upcoming US economic data this week. As BeInCrypto reported, Thursday’s GDP and Friday’s PCE inflation data could provide key insights into Federal Reserve policy direction.

As Bitcoin’s sensitivity to macroeconomic uncertainty amplifies, undesirable reports later in the week could exacerbate selling pressure. Altcoins appear to be benefiting from speculative interest and potential diversification plays.

The divergence in investor sentiment between Bitcoin and altcoins suggests a potential shift in market structure, with some analysts already visualizing an altcoin season.

The leading coin, Bitcoin, has been trading within a narrow range since the beginning of February. It has struggled to break out of consolidation as both buying and selling pressures remain subdued. 

On-chain data suggests that this period of sideways movement could persist due to weakening activity on the Bitcoin network.

Bitcoin Could Face Prolonged Sideways Movement as Network Activity Drops

According to a recent report by pseudonymous CryptoQuant analyst Avocado_onchain, Bitcoin network activity has been steadily declining, contributing to BTC’s recent narrow price movements. If this continues, “we must consider the possibility of another prolonged consolidation phase, similar to what began in March 2024,” the analyst says.

One such data Avocado considers is the number of daily active wallet addresses on the Bitcoin network. According to CryptoQuant’s data, when observed using a 30-day small moving average (SMA), the daily count of addresses that have completed at least one BTC transaction has plummeted by 2% since February 1.

A decline in active daily wallets on the Bitcoin network signals reduced user demand. This can contribute to downward price pressure on the coin, as decreased network activity typically aligns with lower buying interest.

In addition, Avocado reports that “the number of UTXOs is also decreasing, with the magnitude of the decline similar to the correction period in September 2023.”

Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) tracks the amount of Bitcoin left after a transaction, which can be used as input for future transactions. It represents the available balance that can be spent on the network. When the number of UTXOs declines, fewer new coins are being distributed or moved, suggesting reduced transaction activity. This indicates a period of consolidation, where investors are holding rather than spending their coins.

“If this trend continues, we could see signs of investor exodus similar to the market cycle peak of 2017. However, a simple decline in UTXOs alone is not enough to confirm the end of the current cycle, as other indicators still suggest a bullish outlook,” Avocado writes.

Bitcoin Hovers Near Key Support—Will It Hold or Break Lower?

As of this writing, BTC trades near the support line of its horizontal channel at $95,527. If the Bitcoin network activity wanes, further affecting the demand for the king coin, its price could break below this level. In this scenario, BTC could drop to $92,325.

On the other hand, if market trends shift and the buying pressure gains momentum, the coin could rally toward the resistance at $99,031 and attempt a crossover. If successful, BTC could reach $102,665.