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February 13, 2026

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Crypto Rally Alert: Why Bitcoin and Ethereum Prices Are Moving Higher Today

Forex 3 Mins Read

The post Crypto Rally Alert: Why Bitcoin and Ethereum Prices Are Moving Higher Today appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

The cryptocurrency market is showing signs of rallying again, with major assets including Bitcoin and Ethereum posting gains as improving macroeconomic signals and fresh institutional news lift investor sentiment.

Cooling Inflation Sparks Risk-Asset Buying

One of the main drivers behind the latest price increase is the release of softer-than-expected inflation data. U.S. CPI came in at 2.4%, below expectations of 2.5%, reinforcing expectations that inflation pressures may be easing. Lower inflation readings typically improve liquidity expectations and support risk-sensitive assets such as cryptocurrencies, technology stocks, and growth investments.

The broader crypto market capitalization climbed to roughly $2.35 trillion, while the CoinMarketCap 20 index rose more than 2%, reflecting a broad-based recovery across digital assets.

Institutional Sentiment Gets a Boost

The rise was also supported by renewed policy momentum in Brazil, where lawmakers have reintroduced a proposal to establish a strategic national Bitcoin reserve. The move is being viewed by traders as another step toward sovereign-level adoption of digital assets, strengthening long-term institutional confidence in the sector.

Such developments are increasingly influencing short-term price movements, as national-level policy discussions signal expanding recognition of cryptocurrencies within global financial systems.

Extreme Fear Triggers Technical Bounce

Despite the rally, market sentiment indicators still hint at trouble. The Fear and Greed Index remains deep in “extreme fear” territory, historically a level that often precedes contrarian rebounds. At the same time, derivatives open interest has surged, suggesting traders are re-entering positions and covering shorts, helping fuel the current upward move.

Technical analysis also shows that Bitcoin is stabilizing near important support levels. A sustained break above resistance zones could open the door for a stronger upward move, while a failure to hold current support could quickly shift momentum back to the downside.

Market Outlook: Recovery Attempt Underway

For a stronger bullish confirmation, Bitcoin price needs to first break above the recent swing high near $68,400 and then clear the major resistance area around $70,600. A successful move above this level would reduce the risk of further downside and could open the door for a stronger rally in the coming weeks.

For now, the rally appears to be driven by a combination of macro relief, institutional optimism, and technical positioning rather than a full trend reversal. Analysts say the market must hold above recent support levels and attract sustained institutional inflows to confirm a broader recovery phase.

As inflation expectations stabilize and sovereign adoption discussions expand, traders are closely watching whether the current bounce evolves into a stronger market cycle—or remains a short-term relief rally within a still-fragile environment.

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Economy

Cardi B’s cameo in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show leads to dispute on prediction markets

Economy 3 Mins Read

CHICAGO — Cardi B was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. What she did exactly, well, that turned into a perplexing question for two major prediction markets.

At least one Kalshi trader filed a complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over how the prediction market handled Sunday’s appearance by the Grammy-winning rapper. The result of a similar event contract on Polymarket also drew the ire of some users on that platform.

Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events. The markets are comprised of typically yes-or-no questions called event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring.

The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1 each, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.

More than $47.3 million was wagered on Kalshi’s market for “ Who will perform at the Big Game? ” A Polymarket contract had more than $10 million in volume.

Celebrities including Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Cardi B during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Roc Nation

Cardi B joined singers Karol G and Young Miko and actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal on a starry front porch during the halftime spectacle. She danced to the music, but it was unclear whether she was singing along during the show, which included performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.

Due to “ambiguity over whether or not Cardi B’s attendance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show constituted a qualifying ‘performance,’” Kalshi cited one of its rules in settling the market at the last price before trading was paused: $0.74 for No holders and $0.26 for Yes holders. The platform returned all the money to its users.

Polymarket’s contract was resolved as Cardi B had performed, but the yes was disputed. A final decision on the contract is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

In the CFTC complaint — first reported by the Event Horizon newsletter and posted by Front Office Sports — the trader alleges that Kalshi violated the Commodity Exchange Act with how it resolved the Cardi B contract. The trader — a Yes holder — is seeking $3,700.

A CFTC spokesman declined comment on Wednesday.

The Super Bowl capped a big NFL season for prediction markets.

Kalshi reported a daily record high of more than $1 billion in total trading volume on the day of the game, an increase of more than 2,700% compared to last year’s Super Bowl. The season-long total for all Super Bowl winner futures was $828.6 million, up more than 2,000% from last year.

The increased activity on Sunday caused some deposit issues. Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara posted on X on Monday that the “traffic spike was way bigger than our most optimistic forecasts.” She said the platform had reimbursed processing fees on the effected deposits and added credits to users who experienced delays.

Robinhood Markets highlighted the strength of its prediction markets when it announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 on Tuesday.

“I think we are just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time,” CEO Vlad Tenev said during an earnings call. “This year is going to be a big year. Olympics are going on right now. World Cup coming in the summer.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

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Stocks

Nvidia stock tumbles over 2%: why investors are booking profits

Stocks 3 Mins Read

Nvidia stock (NASDAQ: NVDA) slid on Friday as traders locked in gains after a strong stretch that had once again made the AI-chip leader a consensus “crowded” winner.

The move came as part of a broader bout of profit-taking across semiconductors, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index also under pressure.

Nvidia stock pullback came as investors weighed rich expectations against a market backdrop that has turned more sensitive to rates, inflation data, and the near-term payoff from the AI boom.

Nvidia stock: Profit-taking and rotation weigh

Friday’s move fit a familiar pattern in momentum stocks, when a widely owned leader stops making fresh highs, investors who bought earlier often sell to protect gains.

That dynamic has been playing out across AI-linked equities, where swings have picked up as traders debate whether Big Tech’s rising capital expenditures translate cleanly into incremental profits.

The bigger context is that Nvidia’s stock performance has cooled even as the AI infrastructure buildout continues.

Nvidia is up less than 1% since the start of the fourth quarter and has been largely range-bound after hitting a record high in late October, a notable slowdown after its nearly 40% rise in 2025.

In other words, investors have been paying up for the story for years, and now they want proof that the next leg of spending can sustain the growth curve.​

Valuation also becomes a louder topic during pullbacks.

Nvidia is at about 24 times forward earnings, close to the Nasdaq 100 and at a slight premium to the S&P 500, while still well below Nvidia’s five-year average multiple of 62-70.

That mix helps explain why the stock can feel “expensive” to some investors and “not obviously cheap” to others, even after bouts of selling.​

Read More: Nvidia stock stuck around $190: HBM costs, China risks are hemming in the AI giant

Analysts weigh in: pause or shift?

Analysts largely described the weakness as a positioning reset, not a fundamental break.

JoAnne Feeney of Advisors Capital Management told Bloomberg that investors are increasingly questioning whether revenue growth can keep up with the scale of capex.​

At the same time, analysts have not been rushing to rewrite their numbers.

Wall Street estimates for Nvidia’s sales and earnings have remained relatively stable since tech giants rolled out their latest spending plans, with many analysts effectively waiting for Nvidia’s own commentary.

That “wait for confirmation” posture can create air pockets in the stock as buyers step back, sellers take profits, and the shares drift until a new catalyst resets expectations.​

The market backdrop is also not helping. ​

For now, Friday’s drop looks like profit-taking layered on top of a market that is re-pricing risk day to day.

The next test is whether Nvidia can re-accelerate sentiment with clear signals on demand and margins, or whether the stock stays range-bound as investors demand stronger evidence that AI capex is translating into durable earnings power.

The post Nvidia stock tumbles over 2%: why investors are booking profits appeared first on Invezz

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