Bitcoin (BTC) heads into the tip of February on new native lows as $50,000 BTC worth targets keep in place.
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Bitcoin sellers pile in on the weekly shut, with consensus seeing rebounds in the end failing.
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Geopolitics and inflation woes pile up for international belongings, with tariffs spoiling the temper.
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Bitcoin whales dominate alternate inflows, resulting in expectations of a $60,000 rematch.
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BTC worth conduct continues to repeat the 2022 bear market, as seen by means of onchain information.
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Crypto market sentiment matches historic lows because the Crypto Worry & Greed Index hits simply 5/100.
Bitcoin slumps under $65,000 on weekly shut
Bitcoin noticed immediate sell-side stress at Sunday’s weekly shut, driving worth under $65,000 earlier than a modest restoration.
Information from TradingView places the newest native low at $64,258 on Bitstamp, with BTC/USD nonetheless down almost 3% on the time of writing.

Commenting, X buying and selling account Castillo Buying and selling was hopeful that these lows would type an appropriate lengthy entry. Bitcoin, it famous in a publish on Monday, had revisited its bare point-of-control (nPOC) worth — a latest high-volume space that had not beforehand been retested.
The nPOC at $64,979 fashioned one in all a number of key worth factors, with an accompanying chart eyeing a rebound as excessive as $78,200.

Persevering with, fellow dealer BitBull flagged $76,000 as a possible upside goal earlier than one other BTC worth dip.
$BTC is doing precisely the identical factor which it did in This fall 2025.
This implies, a pump in the direction of $75K-$76K will occur earlier than the subsequent dump. pic.twitter.com/Ti1ieoHgb0
— BitBull (@AkaBull_) February 22, 2026
Nonetheless absolutely bearish, in the meantime, dealer Roman maintained expectations of latest macro lows, at present centered on $50,000.
“Quantity growing whereas worth goes down is the definition of robust bearish worth motion,” he instructed X followers on Monday.
“We must always anticipate pattern to proceed decrease, particularly to 50-52k space. Doubtless get a bounce there however in the end I’m anticipating decrease after that.”

The newest information from monitoring useful resource CoinGlass confirmed cross-crypto liquidations staying elevated, persevering with a sample from latest weeks. These totaled almost $500 million within the 24 hours to the time of writing.
Markets “on edge” from tariffs, geopolitics
A mixture of geopolitics and inflation worries is about to create unsure situations for crypto and threat belongings this week.
Tensions over Iran present the backdrop as markets react to new international commerce tariffs by US President Donald Trump.
After the Supreme Courtroom dominated some tariff measures unlawful final week, Trump vowed to struggle again, with US shares futures opening the week down on information of a 15% substitute.
“We’ve a busy week forward,” buying and selling useful resource The Kobeissi Letter instructed X followers, describing markets as “on edge.”
Bitcoin itself noticed comparable stress, remaining so into Monday’s Wall Road open and resulting in warnings of additional lows.
“It’s attainable that over the subsequent two weekends, the US-Iran battle escalates, as a brand new method to divert consideration from the Supreme Courtroom ruling that declared the earlier tariffs unlawful. Bearish uncertainty,” dealer CrypNuevo wrote in an X thread on BTC worth motion.
CrypNuevo argued that BTC/USD ought to try and “fill” its every day candle wick to sub-$60,000 from early February.
“I feel worth may attain $61k inside 2-3 weeks (-10%),” the dealer mentioned.

Later this week, the January print of the Producer Worth Index (PPI) is due, with the earlier two months’ releases each coming in increased than anticipated.
As Cointelegraph reported, final week’s Private Consumption Expenditures (PCE) outcome likewise confirmed inflation heating up.
“A key report on client inflation confirmed the Fed’s most popular gauge remaining nicely above goal and accelerating essentially the most since final February,” buying and selling useful resource Mosaic Asset Firm commented within the newest version of its common publication, The Market Mosaic.
“The rally in commodity indexes threatens additional upside stress on inflation.”
Whale inflows threat “important promoting” subsequent
Bitcoin whales are nonetheless eager to promote at present ranges, new evaluation overlaying alternate flows warns.
In a Quicktake weblog publish for onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant, contributor GugaOnChain revealed that whales proceed to ship giant tranches of BTC to exchanges.
Inflows particularly are dominated by whales, with CryptoQuant’s Change Whale Ratio metric hitting 70%.
“Traditionally, ranges above 70% have preceded important promoting actions, as whales use exchanges to comprehend earnings,” GugaOnChain wrote.
“On the similar time, an atypical motion is noticed: previous cash are returning to platforms in giant quantity, whereas short-term holders proceed to comprehend losses, making a hybrid provide situation that tends to push Bitcoin’s worth towards decrease ranges.”

The result’s “strategic stress” — keen sellers and growing BTC provide availability, with few consumers stepping in to soak up it.
GugaOnChain predicts an “imminent flush towards BTC’s speedy help within the $60K area.”
“With provide on the rise, warning is warranted,” he concluded.
2022 bear market highway map nonetheless in play
As 2022 bear-market comparisons multiply, a key BTC worth metric is sounding the alarm.
CryptoQuant protection of anchored volume-weighted common worth (AVWAP) now warns of “bearish confluence” between worth and onchain information.
Throughout Bitcoin’s early February drop, it closed under its AVWAP — the worth level with the most important common quantity as measured from its newest block subsidy halving in 2024.
“The final time the same bearish confluence was noticed after an ATH was in Might 2022,” contributor Facundo Fama famous.
An accompanying chart confirmed one in all CryptoQuant’s proprietary indicators, measuring development in Bitcoin’s market cap versus its realized cap. It’s at present deep in “bear market” territory.

Earlier, Cointelegraph reported on numerous realized worth ranges now on the radar as BTC/USD makes an attempt to seek out its subsequent long-term flooring.
Crypto sentiment matches report lows
Bitcoin worth motion could not but be at its 15-month lows from the beginning of the month, however the feeling of doom and gloom is as robust as ever.
Associated: Bitcoin historic worth metric sees $122K ‘common return’ over 10 months
That is mirrored within the newest readings from the Crypto Worry & Greed Index, a traditional market sentiment gauge that continues to diverge from its TradFi equal.
Worry & Greed fell to simply 5/100 on Monday, representing “excessive worry” and matching its lowest ranges on report.
🚨 NOW: Crypto Worry and Greed Index has fallen again to five, remaining deep in Excessive Worry territory. pic.twitter.com/5PmNwgbRMd
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 23, 2026
“Individuals have given up,” impartial analyst Cryptoinsightuk reacted on X.
“I had by no means seen a 5 on Worry and greed index earlier than this previous month. Now I’ve seen a number of.”

Pseudonymous dealer and investor BitcoinHyper added that crypto has now spent longer within the “excessive worry” zone than at any level for the reason that 2022 bear market.
Crypto Worry & Greed Index has been in excessive worry for almost 3 weeks
It hasn’t stayed this low for this lengthy since 2022 pic.twitter.com/JjRI8UEkZs
— BitcoinHyper (@BitcoinHypers) February 20, 2026
The usual Worry & Greed Index, which covers shares, at present sits simply inside “worry” territory at 43/100. When sentiment first hit 5/100, common Worry & Greed bottomed out at 33/100 earlier than rebounding.
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