Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Dogecoin experience a decrease in value before the release of the Federal Reserve meeting minutes, according to analyst.
February 18, 2026
Cryptocurrencies experienced a downtrend as investors continued to monitor the upcoming release of the Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes from January. Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana all recorded losses, with Bitcoin hitting an intraday low of $66,600. Despite an uptick in trading volumes, Ethereum struggled to maintain the $2,000 mark, while XRP and Solana saw notable declines in their prices. Companies related to the cryptocurrency market, such as Strategy Inc. and BitMine Immersion Technologies, Inc., also closed down for the day. Coinglass reported liquidations of around $200 million in the market over the past 24 hours, with $138 million coming from long liquidations alone.
Bitcoin’s open interest increased by 0.68% during this period, suggesting new short positions entering the market. On Binance, both retail and whale investors remained bullish on Bitcoin, favoring long positions over shorts. In the 24-hour period, Ribbita by Virtuals, Jito, and Morpho emerged as the top gainers in the cryptocurrency market for assets with a market capitalization exceeding $100 million. The overall global cryptocurrency market capitalization slightly rose to $2.36 trillion, reflecting a 0.74% increase within a day.
On the stock market front, major indices closed in positive territory on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 32.26 points, a 0.07% increase, closing at 49,533.19. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite also posted gains of 0.10% and 0.14%, respectively. Meanwhile, the prices of spot gold and silver fluctuated, with gold trading below $5,000 and silver rotating between $72 and $73 per ounce. Investor focus was on the upcoming Federal Reserve minutes release and the impending personal consumption expenditures price index report for further insights into the future trajectory of interest rates and inflation data.
Leading cryptocurrency analysts shared their perspectives on the current market conditions. Michaël van de Poppe described Bitcoin’s price movement as stagnant within the $66,000-$70,000 range, highlighting a consolidation phase. He expressed interest in purchasing the asset at this level once volatility subsides. Another analyst, Satoshi Flipper, pointed out a symmetrical triangle pattern on Bitcoin’s 4-hour chart, predicting a potential breakout towards $85,000, signaling a 26% increase from the current levels. Investors are cautiously optimistic as they await more clarity from upcoming economic data and policy decisions.
