Hello,

Welcome to the 36th edition of the Fiat Bridge Daily Crypto Newsletter.

I could not send out an edition yesterday (Monday, 9th February), for the first time since I started this newsletter eight weeks ago in December 2025.

To compensate, I will be sending an edition this coming Saturday, the 14th of February, so that we are back on track with five emails each week. 

Over the last couple of days, the total crypto market capitalization has hovered around $2.4 trillion, reflecting a robust 10.3% increase since last Friday despite ongoing jitters.

Bitcoin (BTC) trades at approximately $69,990, down 0.7% from last Friday, maintaining a dominance of 56.9%.

Ethereum (ETH) is at $2,009, down 2.4%, while Solana (SOL) sits at $84, down 3.4%.

Stablecoins, which are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the US dollar for reduced volatility, have a total supply of $307 billion.

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) total value locked (TVL), the amount of assets committed to DeFi protocols, stands at $98 billion, down a slight 0.4%.

Trading volume in the past 24 hours reached $127 billion, with the Fear & Greed Index at 9, indicating extreme fear among investors.

Recent market turbulence has tested investor resolve, but analysts at Bernstein argue this Bitcoin sell-off represents the "weakest bear case" in the asset's history.

Unlike past downturns marked by structural failures like exchange collapses, this dip stems from temporary liquidity squeezes and high interest rates treating BTC as a high-risk asset.

Data backs this: spot Bitcoin ETFs saw only 7% net outflows during a 50% price drop, far milder than expected.

Bernstein maintains a $150,000 price target for Bitcoin by 2026, citing resilient institutional demand and debunked fears.

For instance, quantum computing threats are overstated. Leverage from holders like MicroStrategy poses no immediate risk, as their debt is long-term. Miners, who secure the network by solving complex puzzles, may sell at a loss in the short term but won't derail the ecosystem.

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Let’s get to the second story of the day.

In a bold move during last week's sell-off, BitMine Immersion Technologies scooped up 40,613 ETH, boosting its holdings to 4.326 million ETH, valued at about $8.8 billion today.

This represents roughly 3.6% of Ethereum's total supply, a staggering position for any entity.

Purchased amid price weakness, the firm now faces a $7.7 billion unrealized loss but remains committed to its strategy: staking over 2.87 million ETH on the network to earn rewards.

This accumulation echoes broader institutional confidence. MicroStrategy, led by Michael Saylor, added 1,142 BTC for $90 million at $78,815 per coin, bringing its total to 714,644 BTC acquired at an average of $76,056.

Similarly, Binance bought 4,225 BTC ($300 million) for its SAFU reserve fund, designed to protect users in crises. These moves during extreme fear (Fear & Greed at 9) highlight "buying the dip", purchasing assets at discounted prices for long-term gains.

Consider this alpha: staking ETH via platforms like Lido or Coinbase offers passive income without selling. On-chain data shows Ether treasuries resisting sales, potentially fueling a rebound. Track whale wallets on Etherscan for patterns; if more accumulate, it could signal ETH's climb back above $2,500, driven by staking yields and network upgrades.

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Let’s get to the last story of the day.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently outlined a future where AI integrates with blockchain to enhance trust, privacy, and efficiency, music to the ears of professionals like you familiar with AI tools.

Rather than replacing humans, AI could act as a "middleman" for Ethereum interactions: verifying transactions to spot scams, auditing smart contract code beyond human limits, and enabling AI agents to handle on-chain tasks like hiring each other with security deposits.

Key applications include zero-knowledge proofs (cryptographic methods proving statements without revealing data) for private AI queries, and LLMs (large language models like GPT) scaling governance in prediction markets or DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations, community-run entities on blockchain).

This could decentralize AI supply chains, reducing reliance on centralized giants and aligning with cypherpunk ideals of verification over trust.

Data supports growth: Ethereum's DeFi TVL at $56 billion shows robust adoption, and AI-crypto projects have seen funding spikes, with over $1 billion invested in 2025 per reports.

For investment alpha, explore tokens in AI-blockchain hybrids like Fetch.ai or SingularityNET, which could benefit from Ethereum's upgrades.

As scaling debates heat up, with solutions like MegaETH aiming for 100,000 TPS, watch for AI-driven dApps (decentralized apps) launching this year.

This narrative positions Ethereum as a hub for AI innovation, potentially driving ETH value through increased utility.

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Now, it’s time for some fun memes 👇

From stabilizing ETF flows and bold accumulations to AI's transformative potential on Ethereum, the market is laying foundations amid fear.

Dips like this often precede rallies, backed by institutional bets and tech synergies.

Diversify into BTC and ETH for stability, explore staking for yields, and monitor AI-blockchain projects for emerging alpha.

That’s all for today. If you have any questions or feedback, reply to this email, and I would be happy to help in any way possible. 

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See you all tomorrow.

Chetan Kale