The "Buddy" dumps some of the shitcoins to go long on BTC, ETH, and HYPE

**RPL Jumps 62% Ahead of Rocket Pool’s Saturn One Upgrade** As per HTX market data on February 17th, RPL’s 24-hour price surge now stands at 62%, with a market cap of $62 million and a current price of $2.80. The community is dubbing Rocket Pool’s largest-ever protocol upgrade—Saturn One—a "turning point." The upgrade will go live on the Ethereum mainnet at 00:00 UTC on February 18, 2026 (8:00 AM Beijing Time / 12:00 AM UK Time). Key upgrade highlights (benefiting RPL holders and protocol growth): - **RPL Fee Switch Activates**: A portion of the protocol’s ETH revenue will now flow to RPL stakers, enabling true value capture. RPL shifts from pure governance/staking to a "dividend" model. - **Node Entry Barrier Halved**: Minimum ETH for node operators drops to 4 ETH (from 8 ETH), expected to attract more nodes and boost TVL/rETH adoption. - **Megapools Launch**: Larger pools for node operators improve capital efficiency, cut gas costs, and enable adjustable commissions.

**WLFI (Trump Family-Tied Crypto Project) to Host World Liberty Forum Flagship Event at Mar-a-Lago Tomorrow** On February 17, WLFI—a cryptocurrency project affiliated with the Trump family—announced it will host the flagship World Liberty Forum summit at Mar-a-Lago Estate tomorrow. The closed-door, invitation-only event will draw nearly 400 leaders from global finance, tech, sports, media, and government. **Key Highlights** - **Organizer**: WLFI (co-founded by Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and other Trump family members) will focus on the future of the U.S. dollar, its USD1 stablecoin, DeFi, AI, financial infrastructure modernization, and cross-border payments. - **Featured Guests**: Includes Wall Street and crypto heavyweights like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman, NYSE President Lynn Martin, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, and Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson; FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CFTC Chairman are also set to attend. Global music

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken announced on February 17 that it will sponsor the "Trump Accounts" plan launched by U.S. President Donald Trump, providing funding for eligible newborn accounts in Wyoming. The news was disclosed by Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis on Monday. Under the arrangement, Kraken will fund all Wyoming newborns’ eligible "Trump Accounts." Kraken Co-CEO Dave Ripley stated the company chose to support the state’s project because Wyoming has taken a "cautious and responsible" stance on crypto regulation, and it also houses Kraken’s global headquarters. Trump Accounts are U.S. savings plans for minors under 18. As part of the pilot program, the federal government will make a one-time $1,000 contribution to children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. Previously, traditional financial institutions including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo have expressed varying degrees of support. Kraken has not yet disclosed the specific amo

Per Coinglass data as of February 17, here’s a key breakdown of Bitcoin’s liquidation risks across major centralized exchanges (CEXs): - If Bitcoin falls below $66,000, cumulative long liquidation intensity on mainstream CEXs will reach $834 million. - Conversely, if Bitcoin breaks above $70,000, cumulative short liquidation intensity on these platforms will hit $572 million. **BlockBeats Note**: Liquidation charts do not display the exact number or value of contracts at risk of liquidation. Instead, the bars on these charts reflect the relative importance of each liquidation cluster compared to its adjacent clusters — meaning "intensity." In short, the chart shows how impactful reaching a specific price level will be. A taller "liquidation bar" signals the price will face a more intense reaction from a liquidity cascade when hitting that level.

Feb 17 – Market maker Wintermute has officially launched its over-the-counter (OTC) business for institutional-grade tokenized gold trading, supporting the two leading gold-backed tokens: Pax Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUT). Wintermute noted it will offer algorithmically optimized spot execution services to institutional clients, enabling trading of PAXG and XAUT against USDT, USDC, fiat currencies, and major cryptocurrencies—with on-chain real-time settlement and hedging capabilities. Data indicates tokenized gold trading volume hit $126 billion in Q4 2025, surpassing the top five gold ETFs’ trading volume for the first time in the same period. The on-chain gold market cap has jumped over 80% in the past three months, from $2.99 billion to $5.4 billion, reflecting market demand for 24/7 liquidity and instant settlement. Wintermute CEO Evgeny Gaevoy said gold is undergoing an infrastructure upgrade similar to the forex market. With accelerating institutional adoption, the t

**Bitcoin Fluctuates Narrowly After Brief $70k Touch; $120M in Liquidations Over 4 Hours** According to Cointelegraph, on February 17, Bitcoin briefly touched $70,000 before paring gains quickly amid light trading volume across global markets during the holiday. The price has since fluctuated in a tight range, washing out both long and short positions in a liquidation-like move. Holiday-thinned order book depth has made it easier for big funds to sway short-term price action. Data shows total liquidations across the network hit $120 million over the past 4 hours. Buy and sell walls popped up repeatedly on order books, only to be quickly rebuilt after being taken out — adding resistance above current levels and ramping up short-term downside pressure. Analytics firm Material Indicators labeled the current trend a mix of “breakout and washout.” Technically, Bitcoin’s weekly Relative Strength Index (RSI) has dropped to 27.8 — its lowest level since June 2022 — falling below the 3