Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (February 20) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.
Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.
Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$67,697.37, up by 0.9 percent over the last 24 hours.
Bitcoin price performance, February 20, 2026.
Chart via TradingView.
Antonio Di Giacomo, a senior market analyst at XS.com, noted that BTC deepened its corrective phase after the US Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes revealed a division over the future path of interest rates, increasing volatility and weakening appetite for speculative assets.
A combination of macroeconomic caution, persistent price pressures, and geopolitical tensions has kept the Fed on a cautious stance, thus keeping BTC volatile and trading between technical resistance and intermediate support.
Its future direction will largely depend on the evolution of US data, interest rates and regulatory developments.
Ether (ETH) was priced at US$1,968.25, up by one percent over the last 24 hours.
Altcoin price update
- XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.42, up by 0.6 over 24 hours.
- Solana (SOL) was trading at US$84.56, up by 3.1 percent over 24 hours.
Today’s crypto news to know
White House stablecoin talks advance amid yield/rewards debate
The White House hosted its third meeting with its Crypto Policy Council, led by Executive Director Patrick Witt, Senate Banking Committee staff, crypto representatives and banking executives on Thursday (February 19), focusing on the yield v reward debate for stablecoins as part of negotiations for the CLARITY Act and GENIUS Act updates.
The first meeting, a broad introductory discussion that ended without a resolution, was held on February 2. The second meeting, held on February 10, was reportedly more focused, with banks presenting yield and interest prohibition principles, prohibiting rewards tied to holding stablecoins. The closed-door meetings, with no public records, were described by anonymous sources, attendees and journalists as productive but inconclusive.
During the latest meeting, the White House reportedly pushed for a compromise, allowing rewards tied to transaction activity, but not to idle holdings that resemble bank deposits; however, no final deal was reached.
Banking representatives from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), Citigroup (NYSE:C), PNC Financial (NYSE:PNC) and US Bancorp (NYSE:USB), as well as trade groups like Bank Policy Institute, American Bankers Association and Independent Community Bankers of America, were said to actively work on language to that end, though a final draft will still have to be circulated and weighed by the banks.
CME moves crypto derivatives to 24/7 schedule
CME Group will begin offering round-the-clock trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options on CME Globex starting May 29, 2026, pending regulatory approval.
The decision follows a record US$3 trillion in notional crypto derivatives volume in 2025. Year-to-date in 2026, crypto derivatives average daily volume has climbed 46 percent year over year to 407,200 contracts, while futures ADV is up 47 percent. Average daily open interest currently stands at 335,400 contracts.
By eliminating weekend closures, CME allows traders to hedge in real time as crypto markets move, reducing the price gap risk that builds when traditional markets are shut.
Bitcoin ETFs extend five week outflow streak
Spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds logged another US$165.8 million in net redemptions on February 19, stretching a five-week outflow streak to nearly US$4 billion.
Weekly withdrawals since mid-January have ranged from US$318 million to US$1.49 billion, raising questions about whether institutional demand is cooling.
Despite the steady redemptions, Bitcoin edged up 1.4 percent over the past day to roughly US$67,800, lifting the broader crypto market cap to around US$2.4 trillion.
Solana meme coin PUNCH surges after exchange listing
A Solana-based meme coin known as PUNCH has surged sharply after securing a listing on a major exchange, briefly jumping more than 80 percent in a single session and posting eye-catching weekly gains.
The token’s market capitalization climbed past US$30 million as it ranked among CoinGecko’s top gainers.
The coin draws branding from a viral story about a rescued baby long-tailed macaque named Punch, which gained traction across social media.
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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