Crypto Market Update: Major Player Movements and Sentiment Shifts Defining Late February 2026

The crypto market is witnessing significant strategic repositioning among key stakeholders, with Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin making notable moves while major holders are reassessing their positions amid shifting market sentiment.

Ethereum Creators and Strategic Asset Management

Vitalik Buterin offloaded Ethereum worth approximately $17.97 million in February, leaving around 10,676 ETH available for future disposition. Meanwhile, prominent crypto investor Arthur Hayes revealed his current portfolio allocation, strategically holding Bitcoin, Ethereum, Zcash (ZEC), and Hyperliquid (HYPE)—a balanced positioning reflecting his market outlook across both established and emerging assets. With ETH currently trading at $1.92K and HYPE at $27.23, Hayes’s diversified stance suggests a hedged approach to market volatility.

Bitcoin Liquidation Dynamics and Holdings Recalibration

Recent developments surrounding Bitdeer’s Bitcoin liquidation prompted mining pioneer Wu Jihan to clarify that asset sales don’t necessarily indicate permanent exit from positions. This nuanced distinction underscores how temporary liquidations don’t define long-term commitment to Bitcoin holdings. Meanwhile, a long-term Ethereum whale who accumulated over 2 years ago liquidated 3,313 ETH, watching profits evaporate from $19.96 million to just $338,000—a stark reminder of market volatility’s impact. Bitcoin’s current price of $65.26K reflects the complex positioning dynamics among large stakeholders.

Market Sentiment Reversal: Risk-Off Rally and Realized Losses

Geopolitical trade tensions have resurfaced with renewed intensity, triggering a classic risk-averse pivot toward safe-haven assets like gold and silver internationally. XRP recorded its most severe realized loss since November 2022, with weekly realized losses reaching $1.93 billion—signaling significant profit-taking and portfolio rebalancing among retail and institutional participants. XRP’s current price of $1.35 reflects the market repricing, while Zcash trades at $219.41 amid broader sector rotation.

These converging movements—strategic exits by protocol founders, whale profit-taking, and heightened realized losses across altcoins—paint a picture of market participants strategically recalibrating positions in response to deteriorating macroeconomic signals and geopolitical risks.