📈 Crypto Market News – February 18, 2026
- Market Overview: The "Great Rotation" Begins
The crypto market is witnessing a textbook capital rotation today. The global crypto market cap has ticked up to $3.75 Trillion.
Trend: As Bitcoin ($104k) and Ethereum ($4.1k) consolidate their recent massive gains, profits are aggressively flowing into high-cap altcoins. This is the classic "Phase 3" of a bull market cycle (Bitcoin -> Ethereum -> Large Caps).
- Bitcoin (BTC) The Slow Grind
Bitcoin is trading comfortably at $104,500, showing remarkably low volatility.
Analysis: This stability is bullish. It suggests that institutions are not selling into the rally but are holding for higher targets. The lack of sharp pullbacks indicates strong underlying demand absorbing any retail profit-taking.
- Ethereum (ETH) targets ATH
Ethereum is trading at $4,150, having successfully turned $4,000 into support.
Momentum: With the "Dencun" upgrade anniversary approaching, network activity is at an all-time high. Analysts are now calling for a test of the $4,868 (All-Time High) within the next 2 weeks if this momentum sustains.
- Solana & AVAX Surge
The "Alternative Layer 1" trade is back.
Top Movers: Solana (SOL) and Avalanche (AVAX) are the top performers in the top 10 today, up 8-10%.
Narrative: Traders who missed the initial BTC/ETH move are rushing into these ecosystems, betting on them to catch up in valuation relative to Ethereum.
- AI Crypto Sector Hype
The convergence of AI and Crypto remains a hot theme.
News: A major tech conference in Silicon Valley featured a keynote on "Decentralized Compute" today.
Reaction: Tokens related to GPU rendering (Render, Akash) and AI agents saw a sharp spike in volume during the US session close, decoupling from the broader market.
